This description relates to providing enterprise information.
Enterprise managers, for example, need to be able to view current, consistent, filtered information, presented in conformity with the enterprise's business models, to be able to manage the enterprise (or portions of it) effectively. The underlying data and intelligence on which the management information is based is typically distributed across the enterprise, scattered over many systems and processes, and hidden from the view of the managers. The data is often fragmented, inconsistent, and stale when it reaches the managers. Any new request by a manager for information is fulfilled by ad-hoc processes which patch data from the existing information sources. Changes in business methodology render the “hard-coded” information processes inappropriate and create information corruption. Managers play a role as business analysts by applying their loose scenario-based perceptions to such information. Drilling down into the lower levels of information is difficult.
The kinds of information that the managers need to be able to view are often high level measures (also called metrics) of the performance of the enterprise, for example, a set of key performance indicators (KPIs) presented through methodologies such as balanced scorecard and six sigma. The sources of raw data on which such metrics are built may include operational systems, analytical systems, and desktop data. Operational systems include enterprise resource planning (ERP) systems such as those offered by SAP; customer relationship management (CRM) systems such as those offered by Siebel, supply chain systems, manufacturing systems. Analytical systems include business intelligence systems such as those offered by Cognos, Hyperion, and Business Objects; warehousing systems such as those offered by Oracle and Microsoft; and reporting systems such as those offered by Crystal. Desktop data may be embedded in Excel spreadsheets and other documents.